The Laughing Cow

"What do you do when someone hands you information that makes you look at the world a little differently?" There's almost a Jerry Maguire feel to Jessica Abrams' funny world premiere The Laughing Cow, set in a family-friendly Hollywood studio (read: Walt Disney, where Abrams once worked). A lawyer (Kenny Kelleher) writes a truth-telling pamphlet that ultimately gets him fired but also moves his assistant (Danielle Hoover) to confront the state of denial she's been living in. She dreams of becoming a television writer but is so scared of being accountable that she hides behind an anonymous blog. The script could stand to be trimmed and the subject matter is a little clichéd — yes, this is another eat-or-be-eaten Hollywood story. But there are nice touches: The set-change music is the whir of a photocopy machine, on which the too-smart-for-their-jobs women regularly take out their frustrations. And Abrams has a knack for humorous dialogue, which, for the most part, director Lindsay Frame's cast plays up without becoming hammy (especially John-Michael Carlton, Ryan Kolbe and Josh Fingerhut). The play may not make you look at the world of Hollywood any differently, but, like the product it churns out, it certainly entertains. Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Starts: April 27. Continues through May 20, 2012